User input devices such as push-buttons are commonly used in many devices. Computers, telephones, and vehicle control panels are just a few of the numerous applications requiring some sort of user input. Many such user input devices are in the form of simple switches where activating the switch will send an electrical signal corresponding to the function assigned to the user input device. Such switches typically maintain a fixed position at all times other than during the act of being actuated. For example, the switch's default position may be an ‘out’ position. Depression of the switch to an ‘in’ position closes or opens an electromechanical microswitch in a circuit, sending an electrical signal to a controller. After the switch is released, it returns to the ‘out’ position until it is depressed again. Such switches are commonly used for push-button applications where actuation of the switch will always have the same effect, e.g., computer keyboards and the like.
Other switches may be used, for example, to toggle a device between two different states, such as on and off. For example, a vehicle rear window defroster control switch may be depressed once to turn the defroster circuit on, and then a second time to turn the defroster circuit off. For such switches, it is often desirable to provide a visual or tactile cue to the user of the state of the device. A backlight indicator may be used if only a visual cue is desired. Providing a tactile cue, however, can be more challenging. In a case where the device will remain on indefinitely until turned off by the user (e.g., by pressing the switch again), a simple mechanical retention mechanism may be used to retain the switch in the ‘in’ position after it is pressed once to activate a device, and then release the switch back to its ‘out’ position when the switch is depressed again. Such retention mechanisms are well-known, such as commonly found on retractable ball point pens. A simple mechanical retention device, however, is not suitable for providing a visual and tactile cue of a device's operational state if the operational state of the device can be changed by inputs other than operator actuation, such as by a controller based on elapsed time, or temperature, or any of a number of other parameters. Electromechanical and/or electromagnetic devices such as solenoids can be used to reposition a switch based on system input from a controller. Such devices, however, can be unreliable, heavy, expensive to manufacture, and/or have excessive space requirements, and they tend to be limited in the number of different positions they can be repositioned to. Accordingly, there remains a need for devices that can be controllably reconfigured to different positions.